Another road preseason tilt for the Bruins came with yet another sluggish effort from the club, as the Bruins surrendered three straight goals against en route to a 3-1 loss to the Flyers at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center.
“We just weren’t sharp,… Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said following the loss. “I didn’t think we won enough battles. I didn’t think our puck support was quick enough offensively or defensively to get back on offense and in turn, we just didn’t generate enough opportunities in the offensive zone because very rarely did we have the puck there.…
To Montgomery’s point, the Bruins were held to just 14 shots in the loss, and 11 before the Bruins decided to pull Jeremy Swayman for the extra attacker and a 6-on-5 advantage late in the third period of play.
The lone positive at the offensive end of the rink came in the first period, really, and off the stick of Morgan Geekie.
On the power play, Geekie drove towards the net and took a terrific feed from Charlie Coyle to beat the Flyers’ Samuel Ersson at the 14:50 mark of the period. The goal also came with a secondary helper from prospect Matt Poitras, who outright refuses to fade out of frame and return to the OHL without a fight.
But beyond that, this was a game where the Bruins certainly wanted and expected more fight from some of their tweeners looking to make a lasting impression on Montgomery & Co. with the preseason nearing its end.
2021 first-round pick Fabian Lysell started his evening in a premier spot with Jake DeBrusk and Charlie Coyle, but failed to make much of anything happen with that chance, and was demoted by the third period. Lysell, who was relatively quiet in his 2023 preseason debut, too, finished with two shots and was whistled for a high-sticking penalty in the first period.
Swayman went start to finish in this contest, and finished with 21 saves on 24 shots faced. Swayman was especially sharp on the penalty kill, with four saves on as many shots thrown his way by the Philly power play.
Bruins announce roster for Tuesday vs. Capitals
Just eight days away from their season opener, the Bruins will wrap up their home preseason slate Tuesday night when the Washington Capitals come to town.
And for many, it’ll be their last chance to impress Jim Montgomery and potentially earn a deeper look, especially with Thursday’s preseason finale in New York being looked at as the ‘dress rehearsal’ by the team.
Up front, Tuesday’s gam with the Capitals will see the Bruins roll with a forward group featuring Johnny Beecher, Trent Frederic, Danton Heinen, Trevor Kuntar, Jakub Lauko, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, Jayson Megna, David Pastrnak, Matt Poitras, James van Riemsdyk, and Pavel Zacha. Obviously the big story is Poitras getting his second game in as many nights, and with the 19-year-old looking like a serious contender for a spot on the NHL roster out of the gate.
As has been noted many times, but due to the NHL-CHL agreement, Poitras is in a situation where he has to make the NHL roster or it’s off to Guelph for another season in the OHL. The Bruins could keep him around for a nine-game trial run, but if they were to keep him after that nine-game run and send him back to Guelph, it would burn the first year of his entry-level contract and the Bruins would be unable to recall Poitras until his juniors season came to an end.
But Poitras has looked the part of someone ready to take that next step (and the Bruins have loved his willingness to compete despite his smaller frame) and Poitras came through with another helper in Monday’s loss in Philadelphia.
This game should also come with a look at what the Bruins expect to be one their Opening Night top-six lines, with James van Riemsdyk to the left of Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak.
On the backend, the Bruins will lean on a blue line featuring Derek Forbort, Matt Grzelcyk, Mason Lohrei, Charlie McAvoy, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Jakub Zboril.
Can Lohrei, who is entering his first full year of pro hockey, continue to make a strong impression on the Bruins? His puck play has been noticeably good, and the Bruins have been impressed with his ability to keep up with plays. The biggest thing the Bruins want to see is Lohrei’s play away from the puck.
Zboril, meanwhile, may need to bring his A-game to this one, especially with the way that Ian Mitchell has been pushing in this training camp.
And in goal, the Bruins will ride with a tandem of Brandon Bussi and Linus Ullmark.
Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. He has been covering the Bruins since 2010, and has been a member of the Boston chapter of the PHWA since 2013. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, HockeyBuzz.com or any subsidiaries. Yell at him on Twitter/X: @_TyAnderson.